G/SPS/GEN/2025  
 
30 May 2022 
(22-4067) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
SADC SECRETARIAT REPORT  ON SPS ACTIVITIES  
SADC REPORT TO THE WTO  COMMITTEE ON  SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
The follow ing communication, received on 24 May 2022, is being circulated at the request of the  
secretariat of the  Southern African Development Community  (SADC).  
 
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1  BACKGROUND  
1.1.  The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region consists of 16 member States 
namely Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho , 
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique , Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia 
and Zimbabwe. The region has a population of 345 million people and  therefore has a high 
responsibility to meet the international sustainable development goals for the betterment of the lives 
of the people  through safe  intra-SADC and international trade th rough the application of relevant  
international standards.  
1.2.  Plant pe sts and animal diseases can inadvertently be transported along with  commodities 
thereby threatening the agricultural production and environment of the importing country. Food and 
feed may be contaminated with pesticide residues or other chemical toxins. To  reduce these risks 
without unduly restricting regional or international trade in food and agro -products, the Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary (SPS) Annex to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on 
Trade allows SADC member States to adopt harmoni zed or scientifically justified SPS measures. 
This is in line with the implementation of the requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
Agreement on the Application of SPS Measures , the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), 
the World Organi sation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).  
2  UPDATES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPS ANNEX TO THE SADC PROTOCOL ON 
TRADE  
2.1  Harmoni zation  
2.1.  The SADC secretariat in collaboration with the SADC Business Council with support from the 
German Development Cooperation programme "Cooperation for the Enhancement of SADC Regional 
Economic Integration (CESARE) " commissioned a study on the Harmonisation of Biosafety 
Regulations affecting Trade of Processed Agricultural Products with Genetically Modified Organisms 
(GMOs) in February 2022. The focus of the study was to assess the regulation of processed 
agricultura l products that are genetically modified and to provide insights into the implications on 
trade across SADC member States. A validation workshop for the study report was held on 
20 May 2022.  
2.2.  The SADC secretariat participated in an expert workshop convened by the African Union (AU) 
to explore options, receive input, and draw experiences and lessons for the development of a Food 
Safety Information and Knowledge Management System for Africa. The workshop was held in 
Douala, Cameroun from 9 –11 May 2022. The out puts of the workshop included: Better 
understanding of the data needs, data availability and data sources for improving food safety 
management in Africa and recommendations for needed improvements; Better understanding of 
existing data and information mana gement systems and recommendations for needed G/SPS/GEN/2025  
 
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  improvements; Identification of mechanisms for linkages and inter -operability identified for 
databases/systems; and Identification of approaches for improving food safety data and information 
exchange.  
2.3.  The SADC  secretariat participated in the Continental Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee 
meeting held in Douala, Cameroun. The meeting was held from 12 –13 May 2022. The objectives of 
the meeting were to: Receive update s from continental and regional institutions on their 
SPS interventions and develop an SPS program matrix for monitoring SPS work in Africa; Receive 
inputs on the upcoming work on the Africa SPS Index and its mainstreaming into the Comprehensive 
African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Bienn ial Review Process; Provide update s on 
recent AU Policy Organ Decisions related to SPS and follow up actions; and Review the Terms of 
references of the Committee, including membership of the continental SPS Committee to align with 
emerging issues.  
2.4.  The SADC  secretariat participated in the Technical E -Meeting for the African Caribbean Pacific 
(ACP) Countries held on 6 April 2022. The meeting organised by COLEACP focused on the latest 
amendments to European Union (EU) plant health rules affecting capsicum, egg plants, tomatoes, 
citrus - applicable from 11 April 2022. The meeting discussed these changes and their implications 
for National Plant Protection Organisations and private operators in the relevant value chains.  
2.5.  The SADC secretariat organized a Virtual Re gional Plant Protection Technical Committee 
(SPPTC) Meeting in preparation of the Commission of Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) Session which 
was scheduled for 5, 7 and 21 April 2022. The preparatory meeting was held on 15 -16 March 2022.  
3  UPDATES ON EU SUPPORT ED TRADE FACILITATION PROGRAMME  
3.1  The SADC -EU Trade Facilitation Programme  (TFP)  
3.1.  The Trade Facilitation Programme focuses its attention on the SADC Protocols on Trade and 
Trade in Services to support implementation of the EU - SADC Economic Partnership Agree ment 
(EPA). The TFP addresses regional implementation issues in the areas of: TBT and SPS measures; 
Customs technical assistance support; and the EU -SADC EPAs.  
3.2.  During the period under review, the following short -term assignments have been implemented 
under  the Programme : 
3.1.1   Identification of Standards and Conformity Assessment needs for selected Value -
Chains  
3.3.  The assignment focused on finding the key standards, technical regulations, SPS measures and 
their associated conformity assessment procedures along the value -chains of the following specified 
products: Grains – wheat and rice; Oil seeds and Legumes – sunflower and cotton seed; and poultry. 
Report on the findings is yet to be validated.  
3.1.2   Development of Regional Mechanisms and Guidelines for Conformity A ssessment 
Bodies working in the area of intra -regional trade  
3.4.  The regional mechanisms and guidelines will play a useful role to ensure that a conformity 
assessment procedure undertaken in any of SADC Member States follows the exact principles and 
practice o f other SADC countr ies. This is important, as business operators will be in position to 
expedite the exportation process, minimise cost related to reassessment in the importing member 
States and therefore, align to the SADC Protocol on Trade objectives as well as with the relevant 
international agreements. The Regional Mechanisms and Guidelines are yet to be validated by 
member States.  
3.1.3   Development of a framework for mutual recognition of the certificates of 
compliance issued by the competent national author ities across member States  
3.5.  The framework for mutual recognition of certificates will specify general principles and 
conditions under which each member State will accept or recogni ze the certificates of compliance 
issued by the competent authority of the tr ading partner. This will eliminate the need for multiple G/SPS/GEN/2025  
 
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  testing, inspection and certification of food or feed commodities in the exporting member State and 
re-testing in the importing member State. The framework will also help to build necessary confidenc e 
in the official inspection and certification system of an exporting member State by accepting that 
the product or process referred to in the certificate conforms to the import requirements. 
The framework is yet to be validated by member States.  
Report by : Mr. Chiluba Mwape  
SADC Key Expert on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
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